Explainer | Jumbo oysters and double shell crabs: Zhuhai is a foodie’s paradise

Before Hengqin gave its name to one of China’s pilot free-trade zones, it was famous for its jumbo oysters
The city of two million is known particularly for its shellfish

Zhuhai

Pearl Liu

Published: 1:00pm, 27 Nov 2020

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Seafood plays an important role for Zhuhai’s two million residents. Sitting on an estuary where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea, the city – once known as “fishermen’s county” – has access to a wide variety of marine wildlife.

The city ranks third among the nine Greater Bay Area cities in China’s Guangdong province in fishing – last year, it reported seafood sales of more than 7.4 billion yuan (US$1.1 billion). This month, the Guangdong Development and Reform Commission said that it will launch a three-year infrastructure plan to support the development of the Greater Bay Area and highlighted the set up of a smart marine ranch by 2023. Zhuhai will host this ranch with an investment of 2.5 billion yuan.

Zhuhai is known particularly for its shellfish, making it a foodie’s paradise. Here are some favourites and delicacies that you should not miss while in Zhuhai.

Hengqin oysters

Before Hengqin, an island in Zhuhai, gave its name to one of China’s pilot free-trade zones, it was famous for its jumbo oysters. It was initially inhabited by a few thousand people who made a living by raising the shellfish, a practice that can be traced back to the Song dynasty in the early 11th century.

These days, oyster farmers usually hunt eggs laid by adult oysters in the water and hatch them during winter. They then tie a bunch of small oysters on three metre long ropes and dip them into the sea, and let them be for about six months, usually between November and April, when they grow to become as big as your hand.

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These oysters are known for their mildly briny and earthy flavour, as well as their creamy white colour. They taste equally good when fried with ginger and shallots, and sometimes chillies, in traditional Chinese style, or when baked with cheese in a Western style or simply grilled on charcoal.

Doumen double shell crab

Double shell or peeler crabs are hard-shell blue crabs caught at a pre-moult stage, before the old shell has been cast off and the new shell has hardened. These are a delicacy because the crabs usually hide deep in the sand during their moulting period, which makes them difficult to catch.

Vast areas of Doumen, located in western Zhuhai, are mangroves and wetlands, creating a perfect environment for the crabs.

Shrimp rice cake

Shrimp rice cakes are eaten for breakfast in Zhuhai. The secret to a good shrimp rice cake is the topping, which is made of dried sand shrimp. These can be only caught in the waters near Doumen.

Making the sweet and salty shrimp rice cakes is a time-consuming process, which includes pouring rice batter over freshly steamed, thin and wide strips of rice noodles, one at a time until 12 layers have been completed. This is topped by chopped shallots and the shrimps, which have been peeled, sun-dried and dehydrated. About 150 grams of the dried shrimp are produced from about a kilo of fresh shrimps. To be enjoyed in the correct way, the rice cakes must be dipped in special Cantonese soy sauce.

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